Cars In Demand: Hyundai Creta, Maruti Suzuki S-Cross Top Segment Sales In December 2018

None of the compact SUVs and crossovers, apart from the Creta, have seen a drop in demand

• The demand for Creta dropped way below its average sales, but its reasons could be temporary.

• The Creta is still the highest selling SUV followed by the S-Cross and the Duster.

• Two new launches lined up in January 2019: Nissan Kicks, Tata Harrier.

Come January 2019 and the Rs 8 lakh to Rs 20 lakh SUV space will see two launches in the form of the Nissan Kicks and the Tata Harrier. While the Kicks will compete directly with cars like the Hyundai Creta and Renault Duster, the Harrier will be a bigger midsize SUV, albeit priced around the same mark as the top-spec Creta.

Related: Tata Harrier first drive review

A drop in Creta’s demand in December 2018 suggests that buyers awaiting the Kicks and Harrier launch might have postponed buying the Hyundai SUV, but we can’t rule out other possibilities like a temporary pause in production. We have already answered whether you should wait for the Harrier or Kicks or go ahead with the Creta here. All said and done, the Creta is still the most popular SUV in its segment, and by quite a margin.

Related: Nissan Kicks first drive review

Now, let’s find out what else do the numbers say.

Key takeaways

• No change in order of demand: The order of the top three best selling compact SUVs remains unchanged in December 2018. The Creta is the most popular, followed by the S-Cross and Duster. Like in November 2018, the bottom two SUVs are also the same: Honda BR-V and Renault Captur.

• High time for new Duster to arrive: The Renault Duster has not received any major updates in the recent past, but it’s still not completely out of buyers’ minds and has managed average sales of over 700 units per month in the last six months. With over five new compact and midsize SUVs expected to launch in 2019 (Nissan Kicks, Tata Harrier, MG SUV, Kia SUV, Honda HR-V, Jeep Renegade), if Renault doesn't launch the new Duster, it might just be too late to the party.

Related: What to expect from the 2019 Renault Duster

• Another big launch- Kia SP Concept-based SUV: Apart from the Harrier and the Kicks, which are set to launch in Jan 2019, the Kia SP Concept-based SUV will be another Creta rival that will launch in 2019, and it could potentially make it big. Why? It will share a lot with the Creta, which has already done really well in India. It is expected to be as feature-rich as the Creta, if not more, and is likely to command an attractive price too. The Kia SUV is set to go on sale some time in August-September 2019.

Is your next vehicle going to be a compact SUV? Which of the current or upcoming models have you shortlisted? Let us and fellow readers know in the comments section below.

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